Diarrhoea outbreak hits Gwanda as water demo flops

Gwanda's only two health centres, Phakama Poly Clinic and the Gwanda Provincial Hospital have been hit by a sudden increase in diarrhoea cases directly attributed to the water crisis hitting the town.

Officials at the two health centres confirmed to Bulawayo24 a tip off by residents of Gwanda that there has been a massive increase of diarrhoea cases in the town. The cases are mostly reported amongst school going children.

Gwanda has been experiencing critical water shortages in the last three months which have seen the town go without a drop of water at time for as long as seven days in a row. The water shortages have been blamed on administration issues arising between the local Municipality and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA).

The Municipality of Gwanda owes ZINWA $8 million for bulk purified water supplied to council. According to information from the two parties the local authority has an agreement with ZINWA to pay a minimum of $50 000 per month to the water authority to guarantee continuous water supply to the town. The cash strapped Municipality has however been failing to remit the amount to the authority at times paying only $7 000 of the required $50 0000.

As a result of the none or low payments by the Council, ZINWA has been rationing water supplies to the town which has seen ZINWA pump water to council for only four hours a day instead of a minimum eighteen hours to meet the town's requirements. The water pumped into the tanks for the four hours normally just lasts the residents under three hours of water a day and only available to the low lying areas according to the residents.

The water shortages have seen residents resorting to very unhygienic sanitary options. Most residents claim to have opted to open space defecation which has left the town's bushes littered with human waste. Some families claim to have resorted to bulk flashing of the toilets which means that family members take turns to use the toilets and flash after everyone has had a turn.

In some instances residents report a severe recycling of water which is exposing them to transmission of water borne diseases. The residents claim that they are forced to share a ten litre bucket of bathing water between all members of the family where by one takes a bath a leaves the same water for the next person to also have a bath. Water used to wash dishes or do laundry is not thrown away but put aside to be used later in the toilet.

Several residents have reported suffering from diarrhoea as a result of the unhygienic water uses. The residents also claim a sudden influx of flies from the human waste fleeced bushes back into their houses.

"Our children are suffering from running tummies and its certainly because of these flies coming home with germs from the human waste in the bush," said a resident Memory Moyo.

Meanwhile, while the community is experiencing the severe water challenges the Gwanda Residents Association called off at the last minute a residents demonstration which was scheduled for today. According to information from the residents, a Municipality of Gwanda vehicle last night went around the town announcing the cancellation of the demonstration on behalf of the Residents Association.

The residents claim that the demonstration was cancelled allegedly because Council, ZINWA and the Residents Association were engaging in talks on the water crisis in the town.

Gwanda Residents Association Spokesperson Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo would not immediately give an explaination on the reasons for the cancellation of the much needed demonstration.

"There is a lot behind the last minute cancellation of the demonstration, I will not be able to give a comment now but a media statement will be made available as discussions are still being held on how and why the demonstration was cancelled," said Fuzwayo.